Tricycle vehicle



Jan. 20, 1948. K. DONOVAN 2,4345759 TRICYCLE VEHICLE Filed Aug. 31, 1945 2 sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A/ar/ a/fo/l/a/f Patented Jan. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRICYCLE VEHICLE l Karl Donovan, Wichita, Kans. Application August 31, 1945, Serial No. 613,878 1 claim. (ci. 28o- 124) been designated by the name Euty taken from the phrase or slogan Economical Utility Transportation. This new tyye of vehicle is not intended to be classed as an automobile, motorcycle, jeep or scooter, but is what the name infers, a vehicle for economical utility transportation.

The width between the front wheels is standard gauge or that of any of the standard cars, the interior ofthe body is full height and full Width, so the drive is at the same height as in a con ventional automobile seat. The vision from the drivers seat is better and the shape of the body has been given a streamlined appearance. It is in its mechanical design, however, that the "Euty excels `over other small cars and tricycle vehicles which have been made heretofore.

One important objection and fault oftricycle vehicles is the failure on the part of the designer to mount the wheels on the frame in a manner that they remain at all times rigidly in vertical planes. This is particularly important in steering and when turning the vehicle. This essential design feature is present in the Euty by providing front and rear supplemental frames for mounting the front and rear wheels, the supplemental frame pivoted at a common axis on the main frame.

A salient object, therefore. of the invention is to provide a frame and wheel assembly which mounts the front and rear Wheels on supplemental frames pivoted on the main frame to a medial cross member to keep the wheels at all times in vertical planes. y,

Another object is to provide a steering mechanism which gives proper steering control and includes connections of fixed lengths from the steering column to a transmission or translating pivot on a medial cross member of the main frame and from this pivot to the tie rod of the wheels.

A further object is to provide drive connections of fixed lengths between the power unit and the f `rear axle, permitting the mounting of the power unit on the main frame with a direct drive from the power unit to a transmission element on a medial cross member of the main frame and a direct drive from the transmission element to the Other and further objects will appear from thev decription.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the instant specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a tricycle vehicle embodying the invention with the chassis or body in broken lines,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1,

Fig, 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 3-3 in Fig.'2 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 6 is'an enlarged section taken along the line 6-6 in Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows. Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, at l0 is shown the body of the vehicle'in broken lines. The body is mounted on a main frame comprisingl lateral longitudinal members Ila, a front cross member lib, a rear cross member llc, and a central or medial cross member Hd. The internal combustion engine which drives the vehicle is shown at I2, as a V-type four cylinder motor mounted on a base and supported on the cross member Il e of the main frame.

The manner in which the front and-rear wheels are pivoted from the main frame on supplemental frames is not only unique in design but essential to the proper functioningof the vehicle. The front wheels I3 aremounted upon a front axle i4 which forms an integral part of the front supplemental frame Longitudinal members l5 are rigidly attached at their front ends to the axle" I4 and are pivoted at their rear ends upon shafts i6. These shafts are carried by supports l1 mounted upon the cross member Ild of the-main frame. The rear wheel I3a rotates upon an axle I8 which is an integral part of the rear supplemembers that the front and rear axles I4 and I8 not onlyfront and rear supplementa1' common pivot shaft Within the housings 24 to a sprocket 25 fixedly and coaxial with pivot shafts f the rear supplemental frame'comprise members I9 which carry the bearings of the axle I8 and are pivoted at their front end with the rear ends of I5 on shafts I6. Thus. it will be seen form parts of the frames but are free to move vertically upona. I6 carried by cross member IId of the main frame. These supplemental frames are structurally rigid and so pivoted as to prevent canting of the front and rear wheels from the vertical planes in which they must rotate to give safe and satisfactory operation of" the vehicle. In other words, the front and rear supplemental frames are free tofollow ina varytical direction irregularities in the road surface whichv the wheels may4 encounter, but are held rigidly against movement from their vertical planes regardless of such surface irregularities.

Between the front axle I4 and the lateral longitudinal members Ila of the main frame are cushioning devices, such as coil springs, shown at in Fig. .6. Any suitable type of cushioning device may be used such as leaf springs, coil springs, or vibro-insulators in which rubber is welded to metal and put in shear to absorb shock. Spring housings 2I are attached at both sides of the mainframe to its longitudinal members IIa and the engine supports Ile as shown in Fig. 5. between suitable brackets are cushioning members such as coil springs 23a and 20h between which are resiliently supported laterals I9 of the rear supplemental frame. Thus, it will be seen that road-shock transmitted from the front and rear axles is cushioned through springs 20, 20a and 20h. The particular type of spring or cushioning device used between the supplementa1 frames and main frame, as suggested, may be of any suitable type.

For propelling the vehicle an internal combustion engine I2 is mounted on the main frame, preferably behind the pivot support of the supplemental frames. The drive from the power unit is from a sprocket 22 driven from suitable transmission gearing within gear case 23. Power istransmitted from sprocket 22 through chain mounted on shaft 26. This latter shaft is carried by roller bearings 21 also mounted upon the medial cross member I Id I6. Shaft 26 is centrally supported between bearings 21 in a stationary sleeve carried by central pillar 21a hereinafter explained. Upon shaft with sprocket 25 are fixedly mounted pulleys 28 over which run V-belts 29. Similar V-belt pulleys 28a are formed upon extensions 30 of the rear wheel hub 30a.

The clutch pedal, necessary connections between the pedal and clutch mechanism, as well as thetransmission andgear shifting mechanism, have been purposely omitted since they are conventional and similar to thoseused on four wheel type vehicles. Also it is contemplated that the drive connections from the power unit to the rear wheel' axle may b-e by a double propeller shaft with the necessary worm and pinion gears or a chain and-sprocket drive instead of the V-belts. Whatever the driving connections may be. whether through V-belts, chains and sprockets, or through propeller shafts. an interrupting transmission element will be located upon the medial cross member Hd so the drive is from the power unit to the'transmissionelement. and" from tbe transmission element to the' rear wheel axle. By

Y avoided. These precautions,

this arrangement the length of the driving connections between the power unit and transmission element, and the transmission element and the rear wheel axle is xed since the pivot of the power transmitting interrupter is coaxial with the pivots of the front andrear supplemental frames. The braking system may be either of mechanical type or a hydraulic system. vIn the drawings only the braking mechanism for the rear wheel is shown. Brake shoe 3| is located within the hub extension 30 and is actuated by hydraulic fluid supplied through tubing 32 shown in Fig. 4.' In the event a mechanical system of braking is used, cables from the foot pedals would connect with 'arms pivoted on the cross member yI Id and the braking force from such pivot would be transmitted to the brake drumsv on the front and rear wheels by separate cables. By interrupting the braking cables at a pivot located upon the medial cross member, diiliculties arising from road irregularities which would vary the distances between the controls and the front and rear axles is likewise while essential to mechanical braking systems where cables are used, are less vital in hydraulic systems where slight variations in the length of tubing can be compensated for by slight excess length in the tubing sections.

In the same manner and for the same reasons the steering gear cables are run over pulleys which are pivoted at the same pivot on medial cross member IId. In the drawings steering of the vehicle is performed by a very simple arrangement. A steering column 33 is supported in a lower bearing 34 carried by the main frame and a bracket 35 attached to the body in front of the drivers seat. On top of the column is mounted a beveled gear 36 which meshes with a smaller beveled gear or pinion 31 fixedly attached to the shaft 38 upsn which the steering wheel 39 is mounted. Shaft 38 is supported in a. cowling diagrammatically shown at 40. At the lower end of steering column 33 is fixedly mounted a pulley 4I over which runs the steering cable 42. The cable passes over pulleys 43 which are rotatably mounted upon a stationary bearing sleeve 44 in which rotates shaft 26. The bearing sleeve 44 is centrally supported by the pillar or pedestal 21a and thus provides a pivot upon which the cable pulleys rotate. This pivot is coaxially located with respect to the transmission interrupter oi the drive connections, as well as the pivots for the front and rearssupplemental frames. After running over pulleys 43 the cables pass forwardly over pulleys 45 rotatably mounted upon cross member I5a of the front supplemental frame. The ends of the cable, or if the cable be endless, it is fastened at a clamp 46 to the as the connections between the steering column and the pivot point on the main frame and the pivot point and vconnections to the supplemental frame and tie rod have a common pivot with the front supplemental frame thereby preventing variation in the lengths of these connections.

Thus' it will be seen vided a tricycle vehicle designed to provide improved safety and riding qualities. This is ac that there has been procomplished by pivoting the front and rear supplemental frames which carry the front and rear axles to the main frame at an intermediate or medial point. correspondingly the drive connection from the power unit to the rear axle is interrupted at the pivot point of the supplementaly frames, as is the connection from the steering column to the front wheel tie rod. By pivoting the supplemental frames, the drive connections, steering connections and brake cables, if a mechanical steering mechanism is employed, upon a single axis on the main frame many of the difiiculties, inconveniences and inadequacies of a tricycle vehicle are eliminated or rectiiied.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the` is within the scope of the claim.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, T, claim:

In a frame and wheel assembly for a tricycle Vehicle the combination with a main frame having lateral longitudinal members and front, medial and rear transverse members, a pair cf supplemental frames, one in iront and the otle.A behind the medial transverse member, and both pivoted thereon, a pair of iront wheels mounted upon an axle forming an integral part of tbe front supplemental frame, a single rear Wheel mounted on an axle forming an integral part of the rear supplemental frame, cushioning means interposed between the main frame and supplemental frames.

KARL DONOVAN.

REFEREN CES CITED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,803,055 Causan Apr. 28, 1931 2,167,096 van Den stock July 25, 1939 y 2,153,233 Best Apr. 4, 1939 2,153,271 Paton Apr. 4, 1939 2,243,124 Rockola May 27, 1941 2,331,976 Hare Oct. 19 

